Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

A festive box filled with these soft, chocolaty candy cane cookies makes a great gift for the host during the holiday season. For a polished look, be sure to let the icing outlines dry completely before filling in the stripes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat meringue powder with 1/4 cup water until foamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in icing sugar until stiff and glossy, about 9 minutes; beat in peppermint extract. Spoon half of the icing into piping bag fitted with small plain tip; cover remaining icing with damp towel and set aside. Pipe thick outline of icing along edges of cookies; pipe thick outlines of stripes on surface of each. Let stand until dry, about 20 minutes.

To remaining icing, gradually add water, 1/2 tsp at a time, until mixture is consistency of molasses. Divide icing among 2 bowls; using food colouring, tint icing in 1 bowl red.

Alternating between white and red icing, pipe or spoon icing into borders of stripes; using toothpick or skewer, spread to piped edges, popping any air bubbles. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container; store for up to 3 days.)

The Ultimate Pizza Dough

Our foolproof dough delivers the most amazing pizza crust you'll ever taste. The long rising time results in a lovely texture and extra-rich flavour. It's so easy to make and can be stretched into either a regular or thin-crust pizza. You'll never want to order in again!

Ingredients

Nutritional facts
per each of 8 slices of 12-inch (30 cm) regular crust ( without toppings) : about

Fibre1 g

Sodium144 mg

Sugarstrace

Protein4 g

Calories125.0

Total fat2 g

Potassium40 mg

Cholesterol0 mg

Saturated fattrace

Total carbohydrate23 g

%RDI

Iron11.0

Fibre0.0

Folate23.0

Sodium0.0

Sugars0.0

Calcium1.0

Protein0.0

Calories0.0

Total fat0.0

Vitamin A0.0

Vitamin C0.0

Potassium0.0

Cholesterol0.0

Saturated fat0.0

Total carbohydrate0.0

Method

In large bowl, whisk together 1-1/2 cups of the flour, yeast and salt. Using wooden spoon, stir in warm water and olive oil until ragged dough forms.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead dough, adding as much of the remaining flour, a little at a time, as needed to make smooth, elastic dough (slightly tacky to the touch, but won't stick to hands or work surface), about 8 minutes.

Transfer to greased bowl; turn dough to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours. (Orlet rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.)

Method

Sprinkle fish with half each of the salt and pepper. In large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat; cook fish, turning once, until edges are golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Method

In large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy; beat in cooking molasses, fancy molasses and egg (mixture may look curdled). In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture in 2 additions just until combined.

Place turbinado sugar in shallow bowl. Roll dough by 2 tbsp into balls; roll in sugar to coat. Arrange, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on parchment paper–lined rimless baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 350°F (180°C) oven just until edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes; transfer directly to racks to cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Change it up: Big Fat Chocolate Molasses Cookies
Stir 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips into dough before rolling in turbinado sugar. Continue with recipe as directed.
Tip from The Test Kitchen: Bake these cookies in the centre of your oven, one sheet at a time. It takes a bit longer but allows the cookies to bake evenly.

Method

In stand mixer with paddle attachment, or in bowl using wooden spoon, beat together butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy; stir in flour just until combined.

Press dough into parchment paper– lined 9-inch (2.5 L) square cake pan. Using palm of hand, flatten to make smooth, even surface. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Using knife, score surface of dough into 24 rectangles; prick each cookie several times with fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake in 300 F (150 C) oven until firm and pale golden, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; cut through score lines. Let cool completely in pan. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.)